2 Truths And A Lie About Age Discrimination

2 Truths And A Lie About Age Discrimination 2 Truths And A Lie About Age Discrimination INBOX: “Hi, Jewel. I had a face-to-face interview this week and the interviewer told me I’m overqualified and she’s concerned I will be looking again in 2 months. I responded that I’m quite interested in the role and the company, but I was a little taken aback by her statement in the first place. Regardless of being overqualified or not, if I want the job and can do the job, isn’t it up to me to decide whether to take the job?” It’s pretty hard to justify the use of the term, “overqualified.” Job search is the only realm where this exists. There is no such concept as your surgeon or pilot being overqualified. And if that pilot decided he wanted to fly a 2-seater plane in an air show one weekend, no one would slap him over the head with “overqualified” to prevent him from doing it. Age discrimination is pervasive. A recent survey by AARP found that more than 61% of workers over age 45 report either seeing or experiencing age discrimination in the professional arena. While there are some hard truths about age discrimination, there’s also a big lie that it’s time to shed light on, so you can move through your job search expeditiously and land the job you want and deserve. Let’s get that out of the way first. The Lie “Overqualified” is a brick wall. The person who posted the original question feels it should be up to the jobseeker to decide whether you want to take on a job that someone else thinks you’re overqualified for. For “overqualified” not to stop you in your tracks, finesse what you say here, as there are several reasonable explanations for why an experienced professional may want to step back and take on particular role. Get specific. Saying you’re still quite interested in the role and the organization doesn’t quite cut it. It’s analogous to telling a person on the first date that you picked her because she looked nice. There needs to be more. Dig deeper to deliver a response that has to do with the organization specifically. Instead of just talking about how you like their “culture,” reference what you saw on Twitter about how you like that they have summer BBQs on the last Friday of the month, which makes their culture look relaxed, cool, and friendly. Weave that in with other specific reasons that reflect your desires at this point in your life, such as you’re no longer interested in applying all the specialized skills that you used in your previous job, and you’re interested in still working, but want to step into a role that’s less demanding. Now, let’s get to the truths you need to know about age discrimination in order to move forward. There are several elements of your job search that you can control. Truth #1: You Control Where You Search Target your efforts. There are employers known for catering to mature, experienced professionals. These are some of the organizations who offer returnships internships for experienced people (yes, many of them pay): Goldman Sachs, Cedars-Sinai, and Credit Suisse. KPMP, General Mills, Pfizer, and Boise Cascade are among the many employers that specifically hire employees over 50. Let this short list inspire you to identify even more employers, then direct your job search efforts at those organizations. Truth #2: You Control Your Message If you say on your resume that you’re “unique” or “innovative,” then bring those words to life. Use your cover letter to offer a unique idea or theory that you’ve developed based on your company research. When you find out what the company is working on right now, think of how you can contribute a recommendation that will add value. This comes from all your knowledge, experience, and length of time in the industry. Credit Suisse, for example, has said it’s looks long for more innovators and collaborators to fill 1,200 jobs right now at its new facility in Research Triangle Park, NC. The jobs center on IT, finance, and corporate functions. Use this information as the core of your message. With every company, make sure what you present has primarily to do with what’s happening with the company right now and in the immediate future. 2 Truths And A Lie About Age Discrimination INBOX: “Hi, Jewel. I had a face-to-face interview this week and the interviewer told me I’m overqualified and she’s concerned I will be looking again in 2 months. I responded that I’m quite interested in the role and the company, but I was a little taken aback by her statement in the first place. Regardless of being overqualified or not, if I want the job and can do the job, isn’t it up to me to decide whether to take the job?” It’s pretty hard to justify the use of the term, “overqualified.” Job search is the only realm where this exists. There is no such concept as your surgeon or pilot being overqualified. And if that pilot decided he wanted to fly a 2-seater plane in an air show one weekend, no one would slap him over the head with “overqualified” to prevent him from doing it. Age discrimination is pervasive. A recent survey by AARP found that more than 61% of workers over age 45 report either seeing or experiencing age discrimination in the professional arena. While there are some hard truths about age discrimination, there’s also a big lie that it’s time to shed light on, so you can move through your job search expeditiously and land the job you want and deserve. Let’s get that out of the way first. The Lie “Overqualified” is a brick wall. The person who posted the original question feels it should be up to the jobseeker to decide whether you want to take on a job that someone else thinks you’re overqualified for. For “overqualified” not to stop you in your tracks, finesse what you say here, as there are several reasonable explanations for why an experienced professional may want to step back and take on particular role. Get specific. Saying you’re still quite interested in the role and the organization doesn’t quite cut it. It’s analogous to telling a person on the first date that you picked her because she looked nice. There needs to be more. Dig deeper to deliver a response that has to do with the organization specifically. Instead of just talking about how you like their “culture,” reference what you saw on Twitter about how you like that they have summer BBQs on the last Friday of the month, which makes their culture look relaxed, cool, and friendly. Weave that in with other specific reasons that reflect your desires at this point in your life, such as you’re no longer interested in applying all the specialized skills that you used in your previous job, and you’re interested in still working, but want to step into a role that’s less demanding. Now, let’s get to the truths you need to know about age discrimination in order to move forward. There are several elements of your job search that you can control. Truth #1: You Control Where You Search Target your efforts. There are employers known for catering to mature, experienced professionals. These are some of the organizations who offer returnships internships for experienced people (yes, many of them pay): Goldman Sachs, Cedars-Sinai, and Credit Suisse. KPMP, General Mills, Pfizer, and Boise Cascade are among the many employers that specifically hire employees over 50. Let this short list inspire you to identify even more employers, then direct your job search efforts at those organizations. Truth #2: You Control Your Message If you say on your resume that you’re “unique” or “innovative,” then bring those words to life. Use your cover letter to offer a unique idea or theory that you’ve developed based on your company research. When you find out what the company is working on right now, think of how you can contribute a recommendation that will add value. This comes from all your knowledge, experience, and length of time in the industry. Credit Suisse, for example, has said it’s looks long for more innovators and collaborators to fill 1,200 jobs right now at its new facility in Research Triangle Park, NC. The jobs center on IT, finance, and corporate functions. Use this information as the core of your message. With every company, make sure what you present has primarily to do with what’s happening with the company right now and in the immediate future. Controlling your message starts with what you’re saying on your resume and LinkedIn profile. We go over the exact language to use in our job search webinar, “How To Get Hired in HALF The Time, Without Getting Ghosted Because Of Age Discrimination.” These techniques are working week in and week out to get people hired: ages 62. 63. 59, 57, 52, and more you can see their job search success stories in their own words on LinkedIn. Register today.